The Queen And Prince Charles ‘Veto’ Laws

It has emerged that Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Prince Of Wales are using their legal power to veto (halt) bills in Parliament more than was originally thought, according to a new Whitehall document released recently.

At least 39 bills have been subject to Royal approval, with the senior royals using their power to consent or block new laws in areas such as higher education, paternity pay and child maintenance.

In one instance, The Queen used her powers to veto laws in 1999 which pertained to the Iraq War, which directly affected her as the bill aimed to transfer the power to authorise military strikes against Iraq from the monarch to parliament.

The power of veto varies from Royal Assent in that Royal Assent is granted as a matter of routine and is unlikely to ever be refused. Veto is a power The Queen and Prince Charles (as Duke of Cornwall) have to suspend laws for revision which affect their position as both Queen and Duke of Cornwall respectively.

If a veto is given by Her Majesty, then the bill must be partially rewritten and amended before being presented again. It was previously thought that Her Majesty has rarely used her power of veto on any law, however today it has emerged [thankfully for some] that Her Majesty’s function still exists and it’s not all purely formality when she signs a bill into law!

It strikes some people why Prince Charles also carries this power. Well, this stems from his Duchy Of Cornwall and he has powers of veto in parliament for matters concerning the Duchy.

Since 2005, Prince Charles has used the power of veto around 12 times.

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